


I'm A Fire And I'll Keep Your Brittle Heart Warm

by Streetlamp_Sunset



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Autumn, Cuddling & Snuggling, David Rose Loves Patrick Brewer, M/M, Patrick Brewer Wears David Rose's Clothes, Patrick Brewer is Fond, Reincarnation, Soulmates, There Is Only One Bed, Vampire David Rose, Vampire Stevie Budd, Werewolf Twyla Sands, Werewolves, Winter, in every lifetime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:46:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25950841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Streetlamp_Sunset/pseuds/Streetlamp_Sunset
Summary: “Sure,” David said, reaching out for the next button. Patrick’s pulse jumped beneath his fingertips. David forced himself to remember to breathe.“Really, thank you,” Patrick said softly, “for everything.” David’s knuckles brushed over his sternum.“I don’t mind,” David said. He was reminded, suddenly, of London. Their cluttered flat, the smell of paint undercut by the sweet spring air, Patrick arching impatiently beneath his hands, a deliberate unbuttoning. “Sorry my hands are probably cold,” David said, another button slipping free, “bad circulation.”Patrick barked out a laugh, “David, I know you’re a vampire.”
Relationships: David Rose & Twyla Sands, Patrick Brewer/David Rose, Stevie Budd & David Rose, Stevie Budd/Twyla Sands, Theodore "Ted" Mullens/Alexis Rose
Comments: 21
Kudos: 62





	1. Autumn

**Author's Note:**

> CW: vampire related things, such as mentions of blood, but there's nothing graphic.

“M’kay, why exactly is this my responsibility?” David asked, gesturing pointedly. He nearly knocked his cocktail off the tray. David took a sip and grimaced. He shouldn’t have bothered requesting drinks be available for such a last minute flight; the blood had gone stale.

“Um, because it’s your town,” Alexis reminded him on the other end of the call. David groaned. 

“Come with me,” he suggested. Grudgingly, he liked Schitt’s Creek. The woods surrounding the house were teaming with wildlife. He adored Twyla, the latest in a long line of shifters who maintained the property. This generation of Schitts was even tolerable, having learned how to make their cooking palatable. “I haven’t seen you in decades.” 

Alexis made a sympathetic sound, “I totally would, David, but I really don’t want to.”

“Alexis.”

“Ugh, fine, I think I found Theo,” she admitted, tone softening as she spoke her soulmate’s name. 

David settled against his seat, watching the clouds roll through the airplane window. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to visit Schitt’s Creek, but he missed his own soulmate. 

“Micha met some backpacker in Peru and he said there was, like, something about his laugh that reminded him of that dinner party we had in Greece,” Alexis said, “and Micha didn’t eat him as a favor, but now I have to track this random vagrant down before some other vampire that doesn’t owe me, like, a million times over does.” She let out a high, frustrated sound. “And it’s probably not even Theo.”

David trailed his fingertips over the silver bracelet Patrick had fastened around his wrist. He could feel him, alive once again. 

Alexis spent the time between Theodore's lives traveling the globe, following any lead, any rumored sighting. He couldn’t imagine Alexis’ discomfort, magnified by her empathy. It was fruitless, of course. They would meet again when they were meant to and not before then. Still, he understood the impulse.

“I hope you find him,” David said. It was inadequate, but if the right words existed for this longing, he hadn't found a language that held them. 

“Your little button face is just fine, David,” Alexis said. 

David let out a bitter laugh. He could literally read minds, but Alexis always seemed to know what he was thinking.

“M’kay, I have to go,” she said, “but, David, have fun dealing with the rogue little baby vampire.” The line went dead before he could reply.

When David pulled into the parking lot of the motel it looked exactly as it had in Maureen's lifetime. That probably wasn’t a good thing if he had been keeping track of the years correctly.

“Can I help you?” A woman asked without looking away from her game of solitaire. She was beautiful, in the ethereal way they all were. Presumably, this was the fledgling who had inherited the property. 

“Stevie?” 

“That depends, who wants to know?” she glanced up, going still as she took him in. **_Vampire._ **David had been dead a long time. Even one as young as her would be able to feel the power that accrued; he hardly bothered to hide who, or what, he was anymore.

Stevie raised an unimpressed eyebrow the longer he went without speaking. Brave thing. He liked her.

“David,” he offered. "The Schitts said you were planning on moving back into town.”

“Yeah, because it’s such a great place to live,” she said, feigning enthusiasm. 

David's mouth lifted at the corners, “I think you're funny.” 

“Thank you,” Stevie said and he saw a glimmer of confidence break through before she tucked it away behind a curtain of hair.

“But Schitt’s Creek is my territory.” 

**_What does that mean?_ **Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. They had gone muzzy under the weight of sudden, overwhelming responsibility. Threads of worry were woven through it all.

He softened his tone, “Oh, um, it’s fine, you just need to ask.” His mother always accused him of being too gentle with fledglings. It was a slightly archaic protocol, though, still lingering from when they were in danger of being hunted en masse.

“Your sire really should have taught you all of this,” David said. It was unusual for a vampire so young to be away from their coven. Abandonment was considered cruel at best, a crime at its worst. 

Stevie hunched her shoulders, baring her fangs defensively. **_Emir_ ** **.** Flashes of her tearing him apart mingled with his own memories of ridding the world of Sebastien.

“He’s dead,” she bit out, wooden desk creaking ominously beneath her fingers.

Incorrect.

“Okay, well, don’t do that,” David said, gesturing at her face, “the growling, with your fangs out. It’s considered a challenge and I really don’t feel like washing blood out of these clothes.” He straightened the hem of his sweater. Perish the thought; what a waste of an afternoon.

Her mouth snapped shut, scowl etched onto her face. 

David sighed, he couldn’t just leave her here. It would be irresponsible. He also didn’t feel like killing her. Unexpectedly, he liked Stevie.

“Well, come on, then,” David turned to walk out of the office.

“And where are we going?” Stevie asked. He heard her slide the strap of her bag over her head and shut down her computer before following him out into the sun. She reeked of drugstore sunscreen; he was going to have to get her something nicer. There was a Mennonite community in Elm Valley that sold him more natural scents in bulk.

“Home,” David said, walking to the only other car in the parking lot.

Stevie scuffed her toe through the gravel. **_I don’t have a home._ **

“Okay, well, we will be replacing this blight on automotive technology,” David said, shuddering in disgust. He wrenched its door open, picking up the set of duffel bags and carrying them to his own backseat.

“This _blight_ is my car,” Stevie said, **_even if it is a piece of shit that only starts half the time._ ** She held a hand over her eyes to shade them from the sun as she looked up at him, “and I don’t actually have an apartment yet, because the only realtor in town wouldn’t take my calls.”

“Mmm, scrap metal,” David said, climbing into the driver’s seat of his own car. “You’re living in my territory, which makes you my responsibility,” he said as he pulled away from the motel. “You driving around in that thing makes me look bad. Do you have a color preference?”

Stevie’s hands twisted in the fabric of her bag as she stared out the window, pointedly not looking at him, “I could go somewhere else.”

“No one’s stopping you,” David agreed. The tension bled out of her shoulders.

“You’re actually going to buy me a car?” she asked a few beats later. 

“I mean, if you want, like, a brand new model,” David said, “otherwise, we probably have it in storage or know someone who does.”

"Oh,” Stevie said, mind blissfully silent.

She hovered at the end of the drive, taking in the house with an appraising gaze. It was tucked into a small clearing in the woods. Autumn leaves fell in sweeping piles over the lawn; vines crept over the brick exterior. Windows covered all three floors of the west facing wall, overlooking the town. He squeezed her shoulder affectionately as he passed, her bags in hand. 

"David!" Twyla called, making her way down the walk. She looked so much older, gangly limbs of her adolescence grown willowy in his absence.

"Hi," he said, as she tucked herself under his chin. He enveloped her in his arms, breathing in her clean, woodsy scent. 

Twyla reached up to twist an errant curl back into shape as she stepped away. **_These are really pretty, David._ **Her eyes flickered past him, catching sight of Stevie as she came to stand beside him.

"You’re home?” Twyla asked, breathless wonder in her voice, “Last any of us heard you were off to that fancy college in Montreal-” Stevie flinched and Twalya faltered. “Anyway, it’s really good to see you,” she said, tone brightening as she rocked on the balls of her feet. 

Her body was poised toward **_StevieStevieStevie._ ** Her head tilted, heart a fluttering wing beat in her chest. **_Flashlight in the night, dark hair spilling over cool sheets, warm laughter, a rush of air._ **Memories too fast for him to hold on to. 

David brushed a hand over Twyla's arm as he headed up the path, giving them a moment alone. He set Stevie’s bags at the foot of the staircase, pausing to admire the painting hanging in the front hall. He ran his hand along the wall beside their faces; he couldn’t remember how long it had been since they were all together like this.

“Is that your family?” Stevie asked after she made her way inside.

“My coven,” David said with a soft smile, “yeah.” His human mother was called Adelina, but he hardly remembered her. David had been alone for a long time before he found John. He gestured to their portraits, “Johnny, Moira, and that’s Alexis.” 

“They look fun,” Stevie said with a sardonic grin.

David laughed, “Mmm, yeah, fun wasn’t exactly the look we were going for.” He spared one last look at his sister’s bloodthirsty expression before moving toward the staircase. “Okay, well, I’m not usually awake in the middle of the day and it’s exhausting. Let's find you a room so I can pass out.” 

Stevie snorted, following him through the house. The single wall of picture windows allowed most of the halls and rooms to be closed away from the sunlight. It didn’t kill them, but it tended to leave an uncomfortable combination of hives and burns. He pushed open the door across from Twyla’s.

“You can change whatever you'd like,” David set Stevie’s bags on the ottoman at the foot of the bed. He had designed the room with Alexis in mind, dark wood with cream and sage green accents. Stevie moved hesitantly through the space, toeing off her worn converse. She trailed a hand over the plush throw laid over the vanity chair, socked feet flexing in the carpet.

“Twyla can get you anything you need, otherwise I’m at the end of the hall,” David said, hovering in the doorway. It had been decades since he last brought a fledgling home. “So, I’ll just go, then.”

“Thanks,” Stevie sat on the edge of the bed, fiddling with the sleeve of her flannel. “David, wait,” she said as he moved to close the door, **_Stay, please._ **

He paused, waiting for her to vocalize the thought. “Nothing,” she said, shaking her head, “never mind.”

“I could sleep here, if you want,” David offered. Alexis had crawled into his coffin for decades after she was turned. There was a deeply uncomfortable feeling to falling asleep when you were already dead; it took some getting used to. 

Stevie sighed, “yeah, that would probably help, thanks.” She kicked off her jeans and settled beneath the covers. 

David lay beside her in the dark, no breath or heartbeat to listen for. If it weren’t for her racing thoughts, he would have no way of knowing she was still awake.

“Here,” David said, reaching out to take her hand. He guided her arms to fold over her stomach, “it’s an old cliche, but it works.” David curled around her side; his fingers tapped out an absentminded rhythm over her heart. Stevie slept.

Twyla woke them at dusk. They moved down to the kitchen, gathering around the island. 

“You’ll like it,” David said, nudging Stevie’s smoothie along the granite. She glanced across the kitchen where Twyla stood at the stove, cooking herself dinner.

“Twyla has many qualities, but I’ve tried her smoothies and I’m going to pass on this one," she said.

David smirked, fangs poking over his bottom lip, “M’kay, but you were human then.”

Stevie took a tentative sip, eyes widening, "Oh, fuck. This is really good." Twyla set her plate on the counter and pulled out a stool. 

"Thanks Stevie," she said, beaming. “The Schitts have been teaching Jocelyn and I how to incorporate more blood into our cooking. You know how Jocelyn is. She picks up on everything so fast. I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it soon, though.”

“There’s not anything wrong with the smoothie, Twyla,” Stevie said, **_You need to stop comparing yourself to Jocelyn._ **She swirled her drink before taking another sip. "How is Jocelyn?”

“Oh, she and Roland got married,” Twyla said, tone brightening, “They just announced that they’re expecting.” 

“I’m shocked.” Stevie snorted, **_Jocelyn’s been over the moon for that boy since we were in middle school._ **“Honestly, I’m surprised they made it this long.”

* * *

When David suggested the laboring werewolf name her son Mutt, he expected a few responses. 

None of which had been, "What a great idea, David." Jocelyn's words dissolved into pained screams. Her claws dug into his arms where he sat at her beside. Roland shot him a sympathetic look over her shoulder.

“Almost there, sweetheart.” 

“Not even close, Rolle,” Joce said through gritted teeth.

David suspected she named the baby Mutt David Schitt just to spite him. They also made him a godparent. Which, David wasn't sure if that checked out, logistically speaking, but it wasn't as if they could ask anyone. Mutt's godmother, at least, seemed more appropriately qualified for the position.

Ronnie looked between him and the tiny, stoic baby in his arms, “You even killed before?”

"Yes," David answered, holding her gaze. He didn't have to read her mind to know what she was thinking. Ronnie looked like exactly the type of woman who would kill for her family. 

"Good," she said with finality, drawing her finger affectionately over the cub's squishy cheek. 

Human lives were short; time passed quickly. Aside from his little coven, David kept mostly to himself. On full moons, he let Mutt and the other cubs chase chickens around his barn until he was fast enough to join the older wolves in the woods. 

Recently, Mutt had shown up with a full backpack and a sheepish grin, “Hi, Uncle David.” He’d always had a soft spot for strays, if Mutt wanted to live in the barn like a common animal, David didn’t see any reason to deny him. 

When he woke early enough, David joined Twyla in the early dusk of the cafe, waiting until close to walk her home. 

“Do you have the ingredients here for a meadow harvest?” he asked as she passed. David sat at the counter, scrolling his phone. He loathed to admit it, but he didn’t feel like being alone. 

He loved Stevie and Twyla, even Mutt on most days, but David wanted his soulmate to be a part of the life he was building here. Patrick’s unhappiness needled under his skin; it had grown steadily over the past few years. A permanent ache lodged itself in his chest. 

“I think so, let me go check in the back,” Twyla said, squeezing his arm as she moved around the counter. 

“Hi,” a familiar voice said from behind him.

“Hi,” David replied, frozen for a moment. He was tan the last time David saw him, more lines on his face, but that was undeniably Theo. He would recognize his sister’s soulmate in any lifetime.

“Um, I just feel like I have to warn you, what you just ordered is gonna-” Theo made an exaggerated sliding motion with his hand “-run through you like Niagara Falls.”

“Excuse me?” David asked, letting out a shocked laugh. He pressed his lips together to keep from grinning an inappropriate amount at someone who, at this point, considered him a total stranger.

“Oh, she's a sweet girl,” he said, “but her smoothies are deadly,” 

David smirked, “you have no idea.” He held out his hand, “David.”

“Ted,” his face flickered with recognition before it faded away. “I’m sorry, have we met?” Ted asked as he dropped his hand. “I feel like I’ve seen you around.”

“Mmm, I’ve been told I have one of those faces. It was really nice to meet you, Ted,” David grinned. _Ted._ Alexis was going to fucking hate that. He couldn’t wait to tell her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading!!  
> ❤️ Sunset


	2. Winter

David heard Alexis think it before he saw him. 

**_Aw, Button._ **An image of Patrick hovering behind Mutt in the entryway flit through her mind. Patrick was shivering, hands shoved the pockets of a wool pea coat. His curls lay limp over his forehead, snow had soaked through his jeans to mid thigh.

 **_Oh my god. Patrick._ ** She whirled around to face him. **_David!_ **

David winced. 

“Volume, Alexis,” he said, low enough that only the other vampires in the room could hear him. Alexis and, to a lesser but no less enthusiastic extent, Twyla had insisted on hosting a winter celebration. The majority of the wolves, and Ted, had overtaken his front room. 

“Uncle David,” Mutt called, waving him over. David set Lyla, one of Ronnie’s pups, on the ground and nudged her in Jocelyn’s direction. 

He felt Stevie’s hand curl over his arm as Lyla scampered away, **_you okay?_ **

David nodded once, motion tight. He managed to forget, every time, what it was to meet his soulmate. His chest swelled with emotion, love and hope and longing welling up in his throat.

David made his way through the crowd, vision narrowing to nothing but Patrick. A drop of melted snow dripped from his curls. He shuddered as it slid beneath the collar of his jacket. Patrick looked up to greet him with a friendly smile.

“Hi,” David said, a little more breathless than he intended.

“Hi,” Patrick held out his bare hand. David was alarmed to realize his gloves were in the other and had been soaked through as well, “Patrick.” 

“David,” he let go with great reluctance. 

“His car broke down about a mile back,” Mutt said, “I’m going to grab some folks to help get it off the road. I was hoping you had some dry things he could borrow in the house. Otherwise, I can run down to the barn-”

“No,” David cut in. Mutt shrugged in easy agreeance, clapping his hand on David’s shoulder as he moved into the crowd. 

“I, um, I have things here,” David said, gesturing toward the staircase, “clothes, that you could borrow.” David dropped his hands at the amused quirk of Patrick’s mouth, twisting his rings.

“That was actually painful to watch,” Stevie said quietly from across the room. Alexis laughed, leaning into Ted.

Twyla shushed them gently, **_It’s just Patrick, David. You know him._ **David grounded himself in her thoughts. 

“Thank you,” Patrick looked up at him with an achingly familiar expression, soft, earnest. 

“Anytime.” David had written sonnets about those eyes. 

He waited in the entryway of the coatroom while Patrick found a place for his things among the wolves’ discarded outerwear. His socks left puddles of slush on the tile. 

“Sorry,” Patrick said, ducking his head with a sheepish smile, “I’m usually much more prepared for winter.” His fingers were clumsy on the buttons of his coat.

“You can’t control the weather, Patrick,” David said, with a fond exasperation that was all too easy to fall back into. Patrick grinned. David couldn’t read his thoughts, but he knew them all the same. Patrick would continue to try; he was perpetually over-prepared.

David was almost startled by the gentle brush of Twyla’s hand against his arm, “we’re leaving now.” Ronnie and Roland stood beside Mutt in the doorway, chatting idly. 

“Thank you for doing this,” Patrick looped his scarf over the coat bar and held out his hand, “I’m Patrick.”

“Twyla,” she answered with a bright smile, “and it’s no problem.” **_I like him, David._** “It was really great to meet you, Patrick” she said, before turning to leave with the others. 

“Be safe,” David called after them, “watch out for cars.” It was dark and people weren’t always the most careful drivers this time of night. He couldn’t help but worry that one of them would get hit. Ted was in no state to provide medical care, if the way he was draped over Alexis was any indication. 

Twyla smiled, **_love you too, we’ll be back soon._ **

Ronnie rolled her eyes, but the image of her as a large, black wolf butting her head against his stomach flashed through her mind. 

David watched them disappear behind a drift of snow before turning back to Patrick. He was leaning against the wall, hands in his jean pockets. 

“Sorry, about all of that,” David said, running his hand through his hair. He had never cared for so many vulnerable humans, even if the wolves were more durable than most. “Let’s find you some dry clothes.”

“I don’t mind,” Patrick said, pushing off the wall with an easy smile. He followed David up the stairs. “Your girlfriend seems sweet.” 

David nearly tripped over his own tongue, “Oh my god. Twyla? No. She’s basically my sister.” He had been unsurprised when Stevie started spending her nights in Twyla’s bed. Their thoughts had danced around each other for ages before Twyla had crowded Stevie up against the kitchen wall and kissed her. He was incredibly happy for them, but having someone to look after had been nice.

“Oh,” Patrick said, letting out a small sound. A laugh, maybe, relief.

David led Patrick to his bedroom at the end of the hall. It was done up, perhaps unsurprisingly, in mostly black and white furnishings. His bed though, was draped in blue silk. 

David sat on it’s edge, gesturing to the entryway of the walk-in closet, “help yourself to whatever you need.”

Patrick pulled open one of the french doors, taking in the room with wide eyes, “wow, um, you have a lot of clothes here, David.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, glancing around like he wasn’t sure where to start. 

“Do you?” David started hesitantly. Patrick turned to look at him. David gestured at the clothes. “I could pick something or, like, grab some options.”

Patrick laughed, “yeah, that would be great.” He stepped off to the side as David joined him, “whatever you pick is fine.”

David handed Patrick a pair of black trousers that we cuffed to end at his calves. He grabbed an undershirt from the other side of the room. David glanced over to find Patrick stepping out of his jeans. He definitely did not pause to look over Patrick’s bare thighs. 

“Um, here,” David said, laying it on the island of drawers in the center of the room before turning to pull a deep blue woolen jumper from his row of knits. 

“Thanks,” Patrick said, fortunately, now wearing the trousers. His fingers were stiff on the small buttons of his shirt, “could you-?” he rubbed his palms together, gesturing at the one he had managed to get undone. 

David swallowed, moving to stand in front of him. He stared at the ground, Patrick’s bare feet, toes curled into the plush carpet, half swallowed by the dark fabric of his pants.

“Sure,” David said, reaching out for the next button. Patrick’s pulse jumped beneath his fingertips. David forced himself to remember to breathe. 

“Really, thank you,” Patrick said softly, “for everything.” David’s knuckles brushed over his sternum.

“I don’t mind,” David said. He was reminded, suddenly, of London. Their cluttered flat, the smell of paint undercut by the sweet spring air, Patrick arching impatiently beneath his hands, a deliberate unbuttoning. “Sorry my hands are probably cold,” David said, another button slipping free, “bad circulation.”

Patrick barked out a laugh, “David, I know you’re a vampire.” David’s hands paused against his stomach. He must’ve made a sound, because Patrick’s fingers closed around his wrists. Patrick met his eyes with a reassuring smile. “Your house is a pretty dead giveaway. Plus, your guests all look like they could be models or actors-” David found no fault in that. His gaze slid along the line of Patrick’s jaw, the damp fabric clinging to his bicep, “-and I’m pretty sure your friends are werewolves,” he said, “most people don’t take their shoes off to go outside in the middle of a snow storm, David.”

David pressed his lips together, nodding along, “Mmm, yeah, discretion isn't really a strong suit. We’re working on it.” He pointedly looked away while Patrick slid the undershirt and sweater over his head. David pulled open one of the drawers in the center of the room, handing Patrick a pair of thick, wool socks, “here.”

“Thanks,” Patrick said. He sat on the edge of the ottoman to put them on.

“You don’t have to keep thanking me,” David leaned against the closet wall, running his fingers along the chain of his bracelet.

Patrick glanced up, meeting his eyes with an uncomfortably familiar expression. Sweet tea on their wrap around porch in the states, Patrick’s head in his lap. David’s fingers tangled with his, Patrick’s suggestion that he settle down and let people be kind to him. 

Patrick stood, clapping David’s shoulder as he passed, “in the future, ‘you’re welcome, Patrick’ works just fine.”

“Good to know,” David laughed, following him downstairs. _You’re welcome, Patrick. You’re welcome to stay. You’re welcome to whatever you want. You’re welcome to anything, everything._

Alexis accosted them at the bottom of the staircase, “come on, Button, you look like you could use a drink.” She looped her arm through Patrick’s, pulling him away before David could get a word in, “um, yes, love this look for you...”

“Hey, big guy,” Ted threw his arm around David’s shoulder, leaning against him with enough of his body weight that David probably would’ve been knocked over had he been human, “Lex said I’m supposed to distract you for a while.”

“Well, you’re doing an excellent job, Theodore,” David slid an arm around Ted’s waist and steered him towards a couch. He plucked Ted’s drink from his hand, setting it on a side table, “let’s sit down for a moment.” 

Ted blinked, holding out his hand as he careened in the general direction David wanted him to go, “yeah, that seems like a good idea.” 

“And who was mixing our drinks tonight?” David asked, pushing Ted into the corner of the couch with a firm hold on his shoulders. 

Ted’s face scrunched up in thought, “um, Lex, then, Twyla, and Mutt, and Ronnie, maybe, or was it Gwen?”

“Okay, Theo, don’t hurt yourself,” David pat his thigh, “and maybe stop letting werewolves mix your drinks.”

Ted snorted, grinning as he tipped his head back to rest against the cushion, “Lex calls me Theo.” David pulled a throw blanket from the back of the couch, laying it over him.

“I know she does, Honey,” David squeezed his arm lightly, “stay here, I’m going to get you some water.” Ted gave him a clumsy thumbs up. He had always been a sleepy drunk, hopefully he passed out there for the rest of the night.

David found Alexis huddled in the corner with Patrick and Stevie, “hi, having fun, are we?” 

“Yes, we are, you should try it sometime,” Stevie said. Patrick his his laughter behind the rim of his glass. 

“Ooh, burn, David,” Alexis said, tipping her head to lean against Stevie’s. 

“Okay, not a fan of this whole situation,” David gestured between the three of them. He pressed a bottle of water into Alexis’ hand, “your fiance is passed out in the living room, please go deal with that before one of the pups draws on his face. We do not need a repeat of Mutt’s birthday incident.” 

“You’re no fun,” Alexis sighed dramatically. She squeezed Stevie’s shoulder’s, “m’kay, tell Twy I said good night. Night night, Patrick.” Just to fuck with him she asked, “where were you planning on sleeping?”

“Fuck off, Alexis,” David said brightly.

“Sweet dreams, **_David,_ ** ” **_you’re welcome,_ **Alexis pressed a kiss to his cheek before heading towards the living room.

“The motel’s sold out for the weekend,” Stevie turned to Patrick while they argued, “but you can stay with us if you want.”

“Oh, are you sure? I don’t want to impose,” Patrick said, glancing over at David.

“Most of the wolves are crashing here for the night anyway,” Stevie shrugged, “but we could drive you out to Elmdale. There are probably hotels with rooms available somewhere in the area.” 

“You’re welcome to stay,” David nodded, “but I understand if you’re not comfortable staying in a vampire’s house.”

“What?” Patrick asked, reaching out to set a hand on his arm. He had warmed up, David could feel the heat of his palm through his sweater. He focused on that rather than the awareness of having his soulmate touch him buzzing beneath his skin. “David, no,” Patrick said, “you’ve done so much already.” He let out a small laugh, “more than most people would do for a complete stranger. I just didn’t want to overstay my welcome.” A stranger. Right.

“Mmm, well, I am a very generous person,” David said before downing Stevie’s bloody mary. He checked his phone for the time, “I suppose we should find you somewhere to sleep?” 

“Yeah, it was really nice meeting you, Stevie,” Patrick said.

Stevie nodded seriously, “you too, most of Schitt’s Creek already knows all of the super embarrassing stories about David so it was really fun to have someone new to share them with.”

“Oh my god,” David said, hugging her good night, “you’re the actual worst.”

“I know,” Stevie said as she pulled away, **_love you too,_ **“night David, night Patrick.”

Evidently, the entire pack hated him, like, collectively. Every single guest room was occupied by a pile of sleeping wolves, Ronnie’s pups had even taken his parent’s room for the night.

“You can take my room,” David offered, opening the door. 

“I’m not going to take your bed, David,” Patrick leaded against the bed frame, crossing his arms over his chest. David did not think about how good Patrick looked in his clothes, stubborn tilt to his chin. David did not want to cross the room, cup his jaw and kiss him until it melted away.

“Vampire,” David said. He cleared his throat, gesturing toward the bed, “um, I’m a vampire. I don’t actually need to sleep.”

“But you still get tired, right?” Patrick asked, biting his lip, “and it’s a big bed.” Oh my fucking god. Patrick Brewer was actively trying to ruin his life. Fantastic. 

David held on to the tiny shred of self control he had, “it is, yes.” If Patrick wanted to _platonically_ sleep in David’s bed that needed to be a thing he asked for. David wasn’t, couldn’t suggest that they-

“We could share,” Patrick suggested. He grinned, “I promise I’ll stay on my side.”

“Okay,” David said, “just don’t panic when I, like, stop breathing, because that tends to really freak out some humans-” Patrick laughed warmly. 

He reached out to set a hand on David’s arm, “I think I’ll make it.” David couldn’t look away from his loud, loud eyes, “but thank you for telling me, David, for trusting me with all of this.” 

Patrick was a liar. He hadn’t, not once, in all of their lifetimes together, stayed on his side of the bed. He tossed and turned, restless, for nearly three hours before David broke down.

“Just c’mere,” David grumbled into his pillow. He held out his arm; Patrick shifted, gratefully, towards him. He let out a soft, pleased sound as David curled around his body. 

“Sorry,” Patrick said, already settling in his arms, “I don’t know why I can’t sleep-” he yawned, “‘m usually much better at it.”

“Shh, sleep now,” David murmured against his shoulder.

“‘Night David.”

“Good night, Patrick.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Olive for inspiring me to work on this again. And thank you so, so much for reading!!  
> ❤️ Sunset


End file.
